Method for regulating the temperature and the conversion in a polymerization reactor and apparatus suitable to realize the same

ABSTRACT

A CONTINUOUS POLYMERICATION PROCESS WHEREIN THE PROCESS TEMPERATURES AND CONVERSION ARE AUTOMATICALLY MAINTAINED AT PREDETERMINED VALUES BY MEASURING AND COMPARING THE TEMPERATURES OF THE SOLVENT-CATALYST FEED AND THE PRODUCTS OF REACTION TO GENERATE SIGNALS WHICH ACTUATE CONTROL VALVES FOR REGULATING THE RATE OF CATALYST FEED AND THE TEMPERATURE OF SOLVENT FEED TO THE REACTOR.

Consequently, said absorbent material 120 abuts through one of said mesh screens 121 against a tip portion 122a of an operating section 122. Said operating section 122 is formed with a central through-bore l22b longitudinally extending over its full length thereof and rigidly connected to a regulating tubular means 123 in the downward position 1220 thereof. Said regulating tubular means 123, in rigid connection with said operating section 122, has a portion 124 threaded so as to engage with threads 125 of said main outer cylindrical body 102. Accordingly, said regulating tubular means 123 may be rotated to some predetermined extent. Additionally, said regulating tubular means 123 extends downwardly beyond said inner threaded ring 105; provided to fix said main outer cylindrical body 102 to said upper and bottom walls 101a, 1011) of said fuel reservoir tank 101, mentioned above; and accommodates a valve member 126 provided telescopically therein. The said regulating tubular means also 123 has on the inner side thereof a boss 127 to seat a packing 128 which is in a groove 129 formed on the confines of said valve member 126. Said packing 128 is normally seated against said boss 127 of said regulating tubular means 123 in order to seal the communication between said fuel reservoir tank 101 and the atmosphere. The abovementioned valve member has two portions 130, 131, one of which extends in an inward direction to form a seat 130a for a spring 132, interposed between said operating section 122 and said seat 130a of said valve member 126, to urge said valve member 126 to its outward direction until said packing 128 is brought into its normal position on said seat 127. The other portion 131 extends in an outward direction in an opening 133 defined by said regulating tubular means 123. Portion 131 is adapted to abut a connecting tube (not shown) of a refill gas container. When said valve member 126 is compelled against the action of said spring 132 into its upper position by application of said connecting tube (not shown), the gas in said refill gas container enters said fuel reservoir tank 101 through a second side aperture 135 made on said main outer cylindrical body 102 near to a first side aperture 134 of said regulating tubular means 123. On the other hand, formed on an upper portion above said second aperture 135 of said main outer cylindrical body 102 is a third aperture 136 adapted to make communication between said fuel reservoir tank 101 and a chamber wadded quantity of the fuel gas through said third side aperture 136 to said absorbent material 120 arranged under said transverse wall 118 of said main outer cylindrical body 102. Shown by numeral 138 is a gasket which serves to positively seal the communication between the atmosphere and said fuel reservoir tank 101.

In operation of the abovementioned combined refill and burner valve, the gas fuel stored in a fuel reservoir tank 101 is emitted from an axial bore 107 through said through-bore 119 upon release of the engagement between said resilient member and said convex section 117 via upward movement of said nozzle cylinder 106 by means of a well-known nozzle actuating member (not shown). As well seen, gas emission is effected by lifting action due to means relevant with said nozzle actuating member (not shown) since said nozzle cylinder 106 is in its rest position depressed downwardly to contact with said convex section 117 under the influence of said spring 110. Thus, this differs from the structures shown by the first embodiment according to the present invention.

When an adjustment of the height of the flame is desired, the flame is conveniently controlled by the user's hand. The gas fuel that will be discharged through said axial bore 107 of said nozzle cylinder 106 always passes through said absorbent material 120. Said regulating tubular means 123 is turnable in threaded engagement with said main outer cylindrical body 102. Consequently, turned to a clockwise direction, said tip portion 122a of said operating section 122 compresses said absorbent material 120 to decrease the rate of the gas fuel flowing through said absorbent material 120 and the height of the flame is positively lowered. Turned in the opposite direction, said tip portion 122a of said operating section 122 backs off from its initial position, and the density of said absorbent material 120 is lowered with the resultant flame being higher than before.

Further when said fuel reservoir tank 101 must be charged with gas from said fuel refill container, said connecting tube of said fuel refill container is applied to said opening 133. Said connecting tube of said fuel refill container contacts directly with said portion 131 of said valve member 126 to move said valve member 126 from its normal position in sealing relation with said boss 127 to its upper, open position against an action of said spring 132. When said valve member 126 is opened, the fuel gas stored in said fuel refill container flows into said fuel reservoir tank 101 via said first side aperture 134 of said regulating tubular means 123 and secondly through said second side aperture 135 of said main outer cylindrical body 102.

While the preferred embodiments have been shown and described, it is contemplated that various changes and modification may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

What we claim is:

l. A valve for use in a gas fueled cigarette lighter comprising, in combination,

a. a main outer cylindrical body secured to the upper and lower walls of a fuel reservoir tank, said main outer cylindrical body having an axially-hollow interior and a transverse opening communicating between said fuel reservoir tank and said axiallyhollow interior;

b. a fuel discharge nozzle mounted on the upper portion of said main outer cylindrical body, adapted to emit fuel communicated through said axiallyhollow interior of said main outer cylindrical body;

c. an adjusting member positioned in the axially-hollow interior of said main outer cylindrical body between said transverse opening and said fuel discharge nozzle, adaptable to change the amount of fuel communicated to said fuel discharge nozzle;

d. an inner operating body arranged in said axiallyhollow interior of said main outer cylindrical body in resilient contact withthe lower side of said ad- United States Patent US. Cl. 23-430 A 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A continuous polymerization process wherein the process temperatures and conversion are automatically maintained at predetermined values by measuring and comparing the temperatures of the solvent-catalyst feed and the products of reaction to generate signals which actuate control valves for regulating the rate of catalyst feed and the temperature of solvent feed to the reactor.

The present invention relates to a method for regu lating the temperature and the conversion in continuous polymerization reactors, of shaken vessel type, where the temperature regulation is a function of the thermal conditions of the reactants.

It is known that polymeric solutions present usually such viscosity characteristics that indirect thermal exchange is not efiicient unless exchange surfaces which are extremely complicated and expensive are used.

The course of a polymerization reaction is characterized not only by the conversion of monomer into polymer but also by the molecular weight and by the polymer structure.

The viscosity depends on these three factors and therefore it cannot be utilized for the conversion measurement.

Conversion measurements can be realized by means of laboratory analysis on drawn samples, but, owing to the time required, such tests are not useful for a continuous regulation.

The performances required of a regulating system for a delicate process such as the one for the production of polymers, in particular stereospecific polymers, are of extreme sensitivity and swift response, especially as far as the polymerization temperature is concerned.

The above mentioned requisites are required particularly in the cases in which for obtaining a high quality polymer the desired conversion is attained in reactors which operate in equilibrium conditions which are thermally unstable.

The present invention relates to a regulation method characterized by an extremely sensitive and swift response, together with the capability of a swift damping of any oscillations around the equilibrium conditions in the system.

The present invention relates also to apparatus which is a suitable disposition of devices, capable of realizing said method.

The above mentioned method is based on the evaluation of the heat generated during the polymerization reaction in order to have an immediate measurement of conversion.

The generated heat is, once the system is known correlated, with the temperature ditference between inlet and outlet flows.

When the fiow of feed is defined and after the desired rate of conversion in the reactor has been decided upon, the process temperatures have to be held constant at such 3,705,787 Patented Dec. 12, 1972 levels that the temperature difference between the reactants and the final product corresponds to the amount of heat liberated when the conversion is at the desired rate.

The present method utilizes a temperature detectingtransmitting equipment, which is in contact with the reaction products within the reactor or on their outlet line.

The transmitted value is received by a temperature regulator, which compares said value with a given one coming from the outside; by comparing them the regulator generates a signal for a second temperature regulator whereto also the value of temperature of the solventcatalyst mixture entering the reactor, arrives through a detecting-transmitting equipment.

By comparing the received data said second regulator generates a signal acting on a mixing device, which, by mixing solvent streams at different temperatures, generates a solvent stream at the desired temperature.

The detecting-transmitting equipment, which is kept in contact with the inlet line of the solvent-catalyst mixture, generates a control signal for a third temperature regulator which compares the received datum with one imposed from the outside.

Said regulator generates a signal acting on a valve which regulates the catalyst flow.

In the figure the regulation method is described in more detail: it includes the following control and measurement elements:

2 temperature detecting-transmitting equipments 3 temperature control equipments 2 flow control equipments- 1 programmer-processor device.

The monomer is fed through line lat constant temperature and flow rate.

The line 3, by means of which the catalyst dissolved in the solvent at constant composition is fed at constant temperature and variable flow rate, and line 4, by means of which substantially all the solvent is introduced at variable temperature, join in line 2. The solvent flow rate through lines 3 and 4 is regulated so as to have a constant flow rate in line 2.

The lines 1 and 2 merge in the polymerization reactor 5, wherein temperature and conversion must be kept constant. The finished product is discharged by means of the line 6.

The sensitive organ 7, which may be inside the reactor 5 or in the discharge line 6, measures the reaction temperature and transmits it to the regulator 8 which compares said temperature value with a desired value, which may be varied by means of the control line 9. The signal leaving the regulator 8 is compared in the regulator 10 with the signal coming from the detecting-transmitting equipment 11, which measures the temperature at which line 2 feeds solvent and catalyst to the reactor 5.

By means of such comparison the control signal is obtained for the mixing valve 12, to which two solvent streams at different thermal levels come by means of lines 13 and 14.

Said valve 12 regulates the ratio of the flows in the lines 13 and 14 so as to keep in the line 2 the temperature value imposed by the regulator 8.

Since the flow through line 3 is variable for the reasons below stated, a flow measuring-controlling equipment 15 is placed on the line 2; said equipment by means of the regulating valve 16 conforms the flow in line 4 to the flow changes in line 3 so as to have in 2 a constant flow.

As pointed out in the introductory part the temperature measured by the organ 11 is correlated with the amount of heat which is generated in the reactor 5 and consequently with the desired conversion. Therefore the regulator 17 has been included, wherein a comparison is carried out between the signal leaving the measuring equip centration.

TABLE Corrosion, as percent of unprotected coupon 3,3'-methyl- P.p.m. of compound Benzolc one bis-bentn solution 1 acid zoic acid From the above table, it complete corrosion inhibition is achieved at a relatively low level with the corrosion inhibitor of the present invention. That relatively large quantities of a related compound are required to even approach the effectiveness achieved by the compound of the present invention at a low level, indicates the unobviousness of the present invention.

The novel inhibitor of the present invention may be employed in any aqueous environment Where corrosion of ferrous metal in the system is a problem. Such systems include, but are not limited to, recirculating water systems, tanks, pipelines, radiators, and other aqueous based can be seen that virtually ferrous metal contacting systems. It has also been found unexpectedly that superior corrosion inhibitor characteristics can be achieved by adding to creosote compositions 3,3'-methylene bis-benzoic acid at a level ranging from 0.05 to 1%, preferably 0.1% by weight, based on the weight of the creosote composition. The employment of such creosote compounds in the conventional manner results in minimization or elimination of corrosion generally encountered in such situations, when the creosote also contains pentachlorophenol as an adjuvant to its protective action.

I claim:

1. The method of inhibiting corrosion of ferrous metal materials which comprises contacting said metal in an aqueous environment with an eflFective amount of 3,3- methylene bis-benzoic acid.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein said ferrous metal is steel.

3. The method of inhibiting corrosion of ferrous metal materials which comprises contacting said metal with methylene bis-benzoic acid in an aqueous solution at a level ranging from 60 to 150 p.p.m.

4. The method as defined in claim 3 wherein said 3,3- methylene bis-benzoic acid is employed at a level of 100 p.p.m.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,113,148 12/1963 Le Blanc et a1. 260-515 P LEON D. ROSDOL, Primary Examiner I, GLUCK, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

